


les étoiles dans tes yeux

by flying_elliska



Category: SKAM (France)
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Bard Basile, Bigotry vs Powers of Love and Friendship, Evil Priest - Freeform, Fairytale Vibes, Falling In Love, Fluff, Found Family, Humor, Lucas's Farm Adventures, M/M, Magical Creature Eliott, Magical Forest, Nerdy Lucas, Outcast Eliott, Scientist Lucas, Skeptic Lucas, Small Village Setting, Vaguely Old Timey Vibes, Witch Eliott, star symbolism, touch of angst, vaguely medieval
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-21
Updated: 2020-01-21
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:19:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22349401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flying_elliska/pseuds/flying_elliska
Summary: Lucas, freshly expelled from his University for blasphemous writings on the movements of the stars, is underway to stay at his aunt's farm in a little village of the middle of nowhere, and hopefully get a new start in life.On the way there, he has a mysterious encounter with a stranger who calls himself Eliott, and warns him away from the mysterious forest that lies in between him and his destination. Lucas, stubborn, pushes on - but that evening, he sees something that defies his understanding and keeps dogging him afterwards, putting the limits of his scientific worldview to the test.The only one who can help him is Eliott, an outcast among the people of the village, but the only one who seems to know the secrets of the strange lights that dance in the woods at night, and the strange capacities that they seem to unlock in Lucas...and Eliott might need Lucas's help too, as a righteous priest determined to see Eliott condemned as a witch returns to the village once more.
Relationships: Eliott Demaury/Lucas Lallemant
Comments: 6
Kudos: 41





	les étoiles dans tes yeux

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is a present for the awesome Xim, @all-the-wr0ng places on tumblr. Happy Birthday !!!! and I hope your exam went well ! Hope you like this too !
> 
> This fun little AU isn't meant to go on for long, I'm thinking about 4-5 chapters of similar length. Expect some spookiness, misunderstood outcast with a heart of gold Eliott, a touch of nasty bigotry and evil priests to overcome, some beautiful and poetic magic and a cool forest, and snobby nerd Lucas who learns to appreciate life outside of his books, as well as our larger cast of characters in a variety of fun roles. And of course, how the power of love and friendship conquers all ! 
> 
> with thanks to @lucasthegerman for reread/encouragement

This morning, when he set off from the capital of their little nation, Lucas was in a rather good mood.

It was a beautiful early autumn day, sunny and still warm with the remnants of a generous summer, yet the air was crisp and fresh : a perfect day for travelling. He left his student lodgings at dawn, bag packed with a fine meal of aged cheese and herb-infused bread, as well as a flask of good beer. Then he got the early coach for the region of mountains and lakes where his aunt lived, and entertained himself by rereading his favorite treatise on celestial rotations. 

  
Most importantly, he had managed to convince himself, this situation was not the catastrophe he’d presumed at first. Yes, he had been expelled from his graduate student and teacher assistant position at the Central University for some controversial publications in the student newspaper, but it hadn’t been made definitive yet. A lot of people were rooting for him among the higher staff, and his - very political - sacking was likely to be reversed in time for him to come back for the Spring term. He was being given a slap on the wrist, that was all, not being ostracized. The University was going through some inquiries from the new Reform government council, and they were trying to pass the scrutiny of those holy fools with some superficial stopgap measures. In the meantime, his colleague and partner-in-science Imane had promised to send him regular letters to keep him informed of the situation. 

And in the countryside, he would have full range to devote himself to his studies and mappings of the stars and observations of celestial objects. The air up there was sure to be pure and the conditions excellent. He would refresh his mind and come back well rested, and in a perfect position to triumph over his naysayers. 

  
  


However, as the day went on, several incidents conspired to ruin his good spirits. 

Towards midday, the coach was filled by a very loud party of several gentlemen who had obviously started their drinking early and did not intend to let motion or velocity stop their progress. Not only had the next hours been filled by obnoxious bragging about hunting boars and courting ladies (if it hadn’t been the opposite), the one of them closest to Lucas had had the audacity to spill wine on his precious book, and instead of apologizing properly, he had made a joke about how it would remind a stuffy scholar like him to enjoy more of the zest of life. 

Lucas has always strived to be the rational, composed man his occupation requires him to be, but right then, he had to strive to contain some downright murderous impulses. He had more than enough zest in his life, thanks. 

Then the road had become rocky and sloped, the carriage jolting brutally this way and that, and Lucas had started to be seriously worried about the safety of the telescopes packed in his trunks. If any of his lenses, which he had to import specially from the Middle Eastern lands, got damaged in any way, it would set him back for months, and he would truly and well be as stranded as he first thought it would be. The pursuit of knowledge is Lucas’s true reason to live. Without it, he could as well lay down in a shallow grave and call it quits already. The thought of having to stay in the middle of nowhere for months, among what would no doubt be some frustratingly rustic people with no sensibilities whatsoever for the more refined or intellectual realms of life...horror and trepidation. 

To top it all, they had left the radiant weather behind to be faced with a nasty, persistent rain that had turned the earth around them into mud, which was now all over Lucas’s boots since he had to get out of the carriage several times to let several of his company go relieve their much put upon bladder. 

All in all, when the coach drops him off at the roadside inn that is his final destination, smelling like wine, goodwill towards this day has pretty much dwindled to a dogged determination at best. Then the innkeep tells him that he has at least several hours to walk to his aunt’s village, which he didn’t realize would be this far away. The coach got delayed because of the bad weather and the sun will go down soon. He has to make haste. He thinks for a moment, of staying the night at the inn. But his aunt is expecting him and she is a stern woman who abhors those who waste her time. Besides, the place is covered in dust and has a distinct smell of cabbage he is glad to leave behind. 

* * *

He steps outside, trunk in hand, and is relieved to see that the rain has at least slowed down to a drizzle. This will not be a couple of very pleasant hours, but it will be over soon. And he took care to waterproof his suitcase, so. 

The road he is walking on is very different from the large, paved streets he is used to. It’s narrow, half overrun with weeds, thick bramble hedges on the side. It’s a miracle people manage to get anywhere in these circumstances, he pests, soon abandoning the hope of keeping his feet dry as he inadvertently steps into several puddles covered with leaves. 

Well, he will need a time of adaptation, but who wouldn’t ? 

At least the sights will be quite lovely, once all the fog and rain clears, he surmises as he looks at the rolling hills around him. On the horizon, he can see the mountains cutting against the sky, and they must be quite breathtaking during the day. 

His remaining optimism soon deserts him, however. He very quickly becomes miserable, as his boots and wool coat soon become logged with water, his fingers and toes become all numb, and the temperature of his body becomes difficult to keep up. He feels himself shivering and starts to worry he will contract a severe illness - and having to remain in bed for weeks would be the worst sort of torture. He feels stupid for not preparing better for this. Maybe he should have stayed at the inn. Also, did he really need to take quite so many books with him ? He knows many of them by heart already and they weigh heavier than a dead horse in his hand and on his back. 

He is struggling to figure out who he should be most annoyed with, himself or his circumstances, when he arrives at the fork in the road. An ancient stone cross stands tall in the middle. On the right, the road winds up into the hills. On the left, it seems to head directly into a thick forest. 

The innkeep had advised him to take the road through the hills. Sure, he’d said, the forest road is much quicker, and it would save him the climb, but that forest is dangerous. Then he’d lowered his voice and said with a shiver, _People tell all sorts of stories about that wood. Say it’s full of unnatural things and deeds and happenings. They say it’s...haunted. By dark forces, forces of evil._

Lucas scoffs. These peasants and their silly superstitions. Well, if it can cut the duration of his trip in half, and the trees might be able to provide some cover…

He takes the road on his left without hesitation, hastening his pace. 

The sun has gone down by now, the sky a heavy purple-grey, and the wind is whipping in his face. It’s that blue hour of twilight where there is still enough light to see but everything becomes hazy and indistinct. 

He has to admit, as he comes closer to it, that there is something very intimidating about the dark mass of the forest, and he feels something like a sense of dread mixed with a strange anticipation come over him, raising goosebumps on his already chilly skin. As if something animalistic had been turned on inside him, some extrasensory capacity for perception. He can understand why easily impressed minds would confer an unnatural explanation to it. But he’s a man of science. He understands it’s just his survival instincts warning him away from a space likely to hold predators, that’s all. 

He pushes on. 

  
  


And then he freezes in his tracks. 

  
  
  


In the middle of the road, the dark silhouette of a man is now blocking his path. 

  
  


Lucas blinks. How did he not see him before ? He’s quite close too, no more than twenty meters or so separating him from Lucas. He surmises it’s a man, anyway : tall, broad shouldered, wrapped in a flapping long coat and a wide brimmed hat. 

  
  


He swallows. 

  
  


Suddenly he feels very stupid, traipsing around after dark without any sort of weapon and a suitcase full of expensive instruments, like some naïve urbanite. Maybe superstition has nothing to do with it. The woods could very much be a hideout for highwaymen of the worst sort. 

_Think, Lucas, think._

What should he do now ? The man has undoubtedly seen him. Turning back or hiding would be pointless. And unless he is willing to abandon his baggage, which he isn’t, there is no way he could outrun him were he to flee. 

No, the best he can hope for is that the man is just another weary traveller, just be on his way and walk past him. The stranger won’t be able to tell what’s in his suitcase as long as he keeps it from making any conspicuous clinking metal noises, right ? 

  
  


He steels himself and starts walking again. 

  
  


The stranger doesn’t move. The closer gets the better Lucas can see him. His clothes appear to be well cut but worn out from use, his leather boots especially, as if this is a man who spends a lot of time out on the roads. And the lower half of his face is covered by a strip of black cloth. Like a bandit…

Lucas feels a swoop of dread in his belly. If it comes to it, can he swing his suitcase hard enough to make it a weapon ? He can buy new telescopes, but his life…

  
  


And then, when they’re only a few meters apart, the stranger steps to the middle of the road, and lowers the cover from his face. Lucas’s heart does a strange loop. Even in the half-dark he can see his face is beautiful - aquiline nose, sharp jawline, delicately drawn mouth. And his eyes...they’re almost glowing, blue-green-grey, wide and almond shaped, and so expressive…Lucas is so surprised he stands there stunned, his mouth agape. 

_He might be beautiful but he could still rob you_ , Lucas chastises himself. _Keep your mind sharp, you thick-headed fool._

He tightens his hold on his suitcase. 

  
  


“Where do you think you’re going ?” The stranger’s voice is surprisingly soft, with an undercurrent of mirth - but Lucas can’t mistake it, it isn’t inviting. 

  
  


He swallows. 

  
  


“I..um, I’m just going to the village.” 

“Really ?” There’s something mocking in the stranger’s voice now. “Hasn’t anyone told you to stay clear from this road ? That there are…” He raises his eyebrows…” _unholy_ things hiding in there ?” He underlines the word “unholy”, as if making fun of it. 

Lucas scoffs, his pride piqued at the thought of being mistaken for a random, fearful country bumpkin. 

“I don’t believe in unholy things. I’m a man of science. Now, if you don’t mind, my good fellow, somebody’s waiting for me, and I’d like to be on my way.”

He makes a step forward, and towards the left as if to bypass the stranger.

  
  


The stranger makes a step to his right, putting himself in Lucas’s path. 

  
  


“Well, the thing is...some things don’t care if you believe them or not. If I were you, I would turn around.” 

Lucas feels a flare of annoyance. 

“Listen here, mister, I’ve had a very long day, I’m cold, I just want to find the warm bed that awaits me. So I don’t know what exactly you’re trying to sell me here, but unless you want to attack me yourself, I suggest you just step aside and mind your own business.” 

The stranger laughs. It sounds uncanny in the early night, too high and joyful for such a circumstance. 

“My, my...you’re a feisty one, aren’t you ? If unreasonably foolish… tell me, man of science, what is your name ?”

Lucas is taken aback, so he just answers. 

“I’m Lucas, but I fail to see…”

The stranger narrows his eyes. 

“Well, Lucas, as delighted as I am to make your acquaintance, I am going to give you a word of advice : around these parts, you’d do well to keep your name to yourself instead of giving it to any stranger who asks for it. Names have power, after all.”

Lucas is well on his way to angry now. What does that nonsense even mean ? Is this man just making fun of him ?   
  
He takes a step closer - and so does the stranger. They’re standing very close now, closer than is polite. Lucas is only now aware of how tall the stranger is, at least a full head taller than him. It’s intimidating, but although he can hear his heart hammer in his ears, he’s conscious he’s not as afraid as he should be, for some reason he can’t name. 

He squares his chin up. 

“Move aside, please.”

“You’re stubborn, aren’t you.” 

He’s starting to want to push the stranger aside, caution be damned. There is something about the twinkle in his eyes, as if he’s not taking Lucas seriously at all, that makes him strangely riled up. 

“I fail to see, again, what business that is of yours.” 

The stranger sighs. 

“You’re not from around here. You don’t know what has been going on. If you go into that forest...people might talk.” 

“Let them talk, if they’re that desperate for entertainment. I’m not here to stay anyway, I’m just here to study for a short while.” 

Why is he suddenly so eagerly flapping out his life story to this stranger he’s just met? 

“Oh, but even for a short while. I’m telling you. This is not the attention you want.” 

“Well, I’ll bear the consequences. Please step aside.”

  
  


“I could have had very bad intentions,” the stranger says. 

  
  


Wow, this man really likes hearing the sound of his own voice, huh ?

  
  


“Well, do you ?” 

  
  


He stares into the stranger’s eyes to make him understand that he's some lily-livered coward. 

And he’s shaken, sure, but he finds it’s strangely true. There is something about the man in front of him that makes him feel...oddly bold.

The stranger narrows his eyes and returns his stare. Lucas doesn’t know how long they stand there. It’s intense and very uncomfortable. Politeness usually means you don’t stare at random’s strangers like this, but they’re far beyond politeness already, aren’t they ? 

But Lucas _is_ stubborn, and his life has given him a series of bad hands as of late, he’s had to give up his entire life, his future is uncertain, and right now, he doesn’t want to lose yet another confrontation. So he stands his ground, and he makes sure to let the stranger know he’s no pushover. 

The stranger sighs, and relents. 

“Listen, I can see you’re determined. But I can’t let you go in there alone. So, if I accompanied you through the woods, what would you give me in exchange ?”

Lucas scoffs again. Oh, so that was it, huh ? He is just aiming to swindle him. 

“I’m not giving you any money ! I don’t need your protection ! Just leave me alone and I will be fine.”

“You won’t. You really won’t. The villagers are a superstitious, bigoted bunch, but on this one, they’re sadly right. These woods are a dangerous place.”

Lucas rolls his eyes. 

“Alright. Fine. I’ll give you a piece of silver when we’re in the village, ok ? Now let’s go.”

  
  


At least the stranger is not willing to rob him. And to be honest...Lucas won’t entirely mind the company. 

He pushes past the stranger with a brisk walk. 

“No,” says the stranger, following behind him, “it’s not money I want.” 

Lucas feels himself blush, for some reason far beyond his comprehension. 

“Then what ? I am no tradesman, I have no skills to bargain with. I only know how to study the stars. Do you want to learn how to read, maybe ?” The stranger is annoying, but well, Lucas is always in favor of educating the masses. 

“I know how to read ! And write,” the stranger says, as he walks alongside Lucas. It’s his turn to sound annoyed. Well, well. Maybe not all bumpkins are as uninteresting as he thought. 

“Really ? So if you’re a man of learning, what do you need to walk around bothering unsuspecting travellers for, then ?” 

The stranger sighs. 

“I’m not...listen, there’s a lot you don’t understand here. You need to be a lot more careful. What I ask of you is a simple favor. To be called in later.”

A favor ? That sounds ominously vague. But Lucas is just tired. 

“Alright. But just so you know, I won’t do anything degrading or against my morals. And I won’t make a fool of myself.”

“What’s that supposed to mean ?”

“Well you know. Kill people. Sing bawdy songs. Be uncouth towards women. That sort of thing.”

“Oh. Why would I need you to...don’t worry. It won’t be anything like that.”

“Good.”

There is a moment of silence as they walk. Lucas’s adopted a fast pace, but the stranger has no problem keeping up with him, his strides easy and nonchalant. Then again, with those legs…but that’s irrelevant. 

  
  


They’re at the forest’s edge, now. In the penumbra’s diffuse light, Lucas can’t see much but the outline of trunks and branches - the inside of the forest is a thicket of darkness. 

  
  


He can say, indeed, that he is pretty glad he isn’t alone at the moment. 

  
  


“Are you sure you want to go in ?” 

  
  


Lucas nods, and steps forward. 

  
  


His mother always told him he was too headstrong for his own good. 

  
  


The stranger follows. 

  
  


As he enters the forest, he feels a strange chill settle over him. And suddenly, he realises how silent it is. Outside he could still hear the wind, the bugs, a few late birds, the ordinary sounds of life - but now ? Absolutely nothing, except the sound of their steps and the very far away pitter-patter on rain on the leaves. 

  
  


It is uncanny. 

  
  


“What’s your name, then ?” Lucas asks to distract himself. 

“What ?”

“Well, you know my name, don’t you ? It’s only fair I get to know yours.”

“Ah, I…” the stranger sighs. “You’re right. You’ll know soon enough anyway. Well, I’m Eliott.” 

Eliott. It’s a nice name. 

“Well, I would say nice to meet you, Eliott, but I’m really not sure about that yet. Are you famous or something ?” 

The stranger - Eliott - shrugs. 

“It’s a small village. And I have...a bit of a reputation.” 

Wow, did he fall on the village idiot or something? 

“Good or bad?”

“It’s a small village,” Eliott repeats. “People are quick to judge what they don’t understand.”

That’s…

“That’s the bane of my life.” Lucas responds. “I can understand. See, I am normally a student researcher at the Central University, but I got expelled. Temporarily. Because some of my findings, although perfectly sound, have been found by...some people, to be blasphemous.” He swears. “Blasphemous. And I was just describing facts ! I bet if I showed them my fist in their face, they’d call it blasphemous too. For daring to inconvenience them. It’s all power and politics, that’s what it is. It’s a disgrace. Are the stars going to stop moving in the sky if they order it ? No. They don’t care about that silly human nonsense, so why should I?” When Lucas is done talking, he’s slightly out of breath - this subject always gets him winded up. But also..there’s something about Eliott, or these weird circumstances, that makes opening up strangely easy, and the words flow out of his mouth. 

Eliott laughs. 

“Wow, you’re passionate, huh? That’s good. We could use some more passionate people around here. Life isn’t really worth living without passion, you know.” 

There’s something beautifully alive about his face, right then. 

Um...Lucas feels his cheeks warm again - why ? It has to be the cold. 

Then, he hears a hooting noise, and jumps. 

“Don’t worry, that’s just an owl.” Eliott says. Then, “if we’re really in danger, you probably won’t hear it coming.” 

That’s a... quite unpleasant thing to say. Lucas frowns. 

“Are you playing some sort of prank on me ? Be honest. I won’t be too angry. I mean, at university, me and my fellow students are very familiar with that some sort of horsing around. It’s all in good fun. I can understand.”

“I wish I was.” Eliott sighs, and says nothing else. 

Well, maybe he’s not trying to fool Lucas. Maybe he really believes something is amiss here, and he really wants to protect a traveller. Which would be quite honorable, only…

“Alright, let’s say something is wrong about this forest...but why are _you_ here then ? Wouldn’t you be in as much danger ?” 

He looks at Eliott’s expression, an eyebrow raised. His turn to be annoyingly inquisitive. 

Eliott’s face immediately falls shut. 

  
  


“You ask too many questions.” He replies, tone closed off. 

  
  


Alright then…

  
  
  


On a dime, the mood has switched from good-humored to awkward again. They keep on walking. Lucas looks over his shoulder and realises he can’t see the opening they’ve come through. 

He feels a chill run along his spine. 

“How...how long is it going to take us to get to the other side ?” 

“About half an hour if we walk fast.” Eliott replies, not saying anything else. 

So much for human comfort...but anyway, what is he doing anyway, trying to make friends ? This man is still a stranger, Lucas chides himself, he could be bad news, he doesn’t know anything about him, and it’s not because his appearance is pleasant and they had a peculiar feeling of connection for a few seconds that it should mean anything more. 

  
  


* * *

They walk on. Lucas is really cold now, and he has to pace himself not to let his teeth chatter. The rain and wind seem to be stopped somewhat by the trees, and yet, it feels much colder in the forest that it was outside. Time passes, and he doesn’t have a grasp of how much. 

  
  


Then, a light filters through the trees, cut in dancing rays by the tree trunks, and Lucas feels a wave of relief. He starts walking faster. 

“Oh, look, that must be the village !” 

“That’s not the village,” Eliott says. 

Really? But what else would it be, then ? It’s such a pretty sight, Lucas thinks, as he walks towards it. On second thought, the light is very blue, more than the light from a house would be. And it’s moving fast, like a little star scampering through the forest. But it doesn’t matter, he wants to see what it is, nevertheless, he has to -

“Lucas ! Come back here !”

  
  
He can hear Eliott’s voice, but it’s very far away. 

He breaks into a run. He has to see where the light comes from, he has to, he has to. He feels besides himself. He has never known a curiosity as strong as this one. He needs it more than he needs air. 

He feels himself pulled forward by a mysterious force, and nothing else matters anymore, not the rain or the exhaustion or the branches whipping his face as he runs...

He pushes the brambles away, making his way into the thick of the forest. 

“ _Lucas.”_ He hears, but it’s not Eliott’s voice. The voice is light like silver bells, echoing all around him, enchanting, absolutely delightful. 

_“Lucas... Lucas…. Lucas Lucas Lucas Lucas Lucas Lucas Lucas Lucas Lucas Lucas Lucas Lucas Lucas Lucas Lucas Lucas Lucas Lucas Lucas Lucas Lucas Lucas Lucas Lucas Lucas Lucas Lucas …….”_

And for a moment, he sees a very odd phenomenon take place - he finds himself entirely surrounded by little stars, swirling around him, dancing, and it’s so incredible it brings him to tears. He’s spent so long studying the stars, from so far away, he’d never thought he’d get to see them up close, and he feels so warm and held and cherished for one moment, yes, he feels like the entire world _loves_ him, that he has his place amidst it all, and it’s such a new and lovely feeling and he...this is where he belongs, yes, this is where he has to be. 

He extends his hands, and one little star lands on his palm. It feels incredible...cold and warm at the same time, like a melting snowflake or the lick of a flame, and soft too, like a feather caressing his skin...and then, with a little shock that makes him shiver and gasp, it sinks into his palm. 

“Lucas!” That’s Eliott, and he’s grabbing Lucas’s arm forcefully and then, in a blip, all the lights are gone. “Lucas, are you okay ?” 

Eliott is shaking him now, and his grip on Lucas’s arm is so strong it hurts. He shakes himself free, blinks. 

  
  
  


“I’m fine ! I’m perfectly fine, I’m…”

  
  


He looks around himself. They’re off the road now. His hands are empty - oh, no, where is his suitcase ? He looks at his hands. They’re bleeding from scratches made by bramble thorns. His trousers are wet, he thinks he’s walked through a stream.

What in hell’s name just happened ? 

“I...uh…” 

“Lucas.” Eliott is grabbing him by the shoulders now, all sense of propriety forgotten. “You have to tell me now, it’s very important. What did you see ? How do you feel like ? Do you…feel an urge to...” Eliott looks unreasonably frightened, his eyes wide and scared. 

“I’m okay… I think. I just saw a light and...then lots of little ones. They said my name...uh, the stars. It was...actually it was nice. Warm. They made me feel like I was at home.”

Eliott frowns. 

“That’s...strange. I thought they were angry. They usually try to frighten people away. Try to...hurt them. ”

“What ? What are you talking about...what the hell…”

Eliott lets go of him, and Lucas feels strangely bereft without the warm press of his hands on his shoulders, now. 

“Let’s get you out of here.”

Lucas follows, too shaken to say anything else. They go back to the main road, where Lucas finds his suitcases where he dropped them, and winces when he sees how covered in mud they are, but he’s too out of it to even think about his telescopes too much. Eliott grabs one of them without asking, to help Lucas carry the load, and he is too befuddled to protest being treated like a damsel in distress who can't even carry her own luggage. 

  
  


* * *

Finally, they reach the other edge of the forest. The village is there, nestled in between the hills, little farms scattered on the outskirts, and then the town itself, little rows of houses around a central covered marketplace and a church. 

Lucas is outright shaking. Now that they’re out of the forest, he feels all his emotions return, and there’s a lot of them. What in the seven hells was that ? How did _whatever_ that was in there make him lose his mind like this ? 

Is this why Eliott warned him away from the forest ? 

He’s a man of science. He believes...in evidence. He’s not the type of fool to deny his own eyes, but... This...whatever this was, there had to be a logical, scientific explanation for it. Some sort of gas. Like the fires of St Elbe. Or maybe...maybe something was wrong with him.   
  
Did Eliott give him a psychoactive substance, or something of that ilk ? But how could they have...they didn’t even touch…

  
  


These questions continue to whirl around his head frantically as they walk down to the village. He wants to speak them out loud, to Eliott, but he suddenly feels ashamed. Eliott warned him, and he didn’t listen. He made a fool of himself...he’s...what if he could have gotten them in danger ?

His palm, where the little star touched him, burns, and he’s afraid of looking at it. 

They finally arrive at the gates - this village, like many around these parts, has a stone wall around the inner town to protect themselves from attacks, be it from roaming packs of wolves during the difficult winters or bandits. 

Eliott stops them before Lucas can knock on the door. 

“You better not be seen arriving with me,” he says in a low voice. “Listen...I can’t tell you more right now. And you can’t tell anyone what you saw. That’s of the utmost importance, do you understand ? The villagers hate anything that’s out of the realm of their narrow beliefs. But I…”  
  


Lucas interrupts him by shoving his palm right in front of his eyes. 

“One of them touched me,” he says. “What in the seven bells of hell’s name was that, Eliott ?” 

  
  


Eliott swears. 

  
  


“That’s...that’s not possible.” All of a sudden, he clamps his hand down on his left cheek. “By the stars, I can’t...I need to go.” 

Then he drops Lucas’s suitcase on the ground, and in a whirl he’s gone, into the bushes, his long black coat flapping behind him. 

Lucas stays behind, stunned. He looks down at his hand. He was expecting to see burned skin, but instead, in a weird blue color similar to that of a sailor’s tattoo, is a little star traced in fine, delicate lines. As if inked in by a sharpened goose feather, by a steady hand. He rubs at them, and they do not disappear - they are engraved in his skin. 

But that’s not what’s shaken him the most. 

In that split second before he left...was that starlight he saw filter through the fingers Eliott was hiding his cheek with ? Or is his mind betraying him again? 

That strange man - he has a tie to whatever is brewing in that strange forest, doesn’t he ? And Lucas, he thinks as he stares on the strange mark on his palm, Lucas is now tied to it too. 

He doesn't find it as terrifying as it should be. And he doesn't understand why. But then again, he's always been better at understanding the stars than his own heart; 

  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> next time : Lucas is set to do some farm work by his aunt, which he discovers he has no talent for whatsoever. He meets some new potential friends, but after his encounter in the forest, he starts noticing some strange things happening around him, and Eliott is a lot harder to find than the first time. 
> 
> x


End file.
